Title: The Greater Life.
Chapter 1: Complete
Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, own no one from the InuYasha manga/anime
Summary: After overcoming old obstacles, the team starts to live normal lives amongst themselves. When a new villain appears, the team will have to get back together. But are they strong enough to defeat their newest foe?
"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Remains of a large weasel demon scattered everywhere on the soft dirt. InuYasha looked over his shoulder and hollered for his traveling companion to come forth. There was silence for quite a few minutes, then leaves rustled at a nearby bush.
"I'm coming! Hold on!" Kagome stumbled forward, Shippo not too far behind. She pushed a few strands of hair from her face and grumbled. "You're so annoying sometimes." She took a few steps forwards and bend over what seemed to be the weasel's paw- before it was blown into smithereens. A small pink shard, tainted slightly black, could faintly be seen in Kagome's hand.
Shippo climbed up onto Kagome's shoulder, peering downwards eagerly. "Woah!"
"You act like you've never seen a jewel shard before runt." InuYasha scuffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Your being to damn slow woman! Hurry up already!"
Kagome sent a heated glare towards InuYasha. "Sit boy. I'll go as slow as I want." In Kagome's left hand she held the Shikon Jewel, pinched between her forefinger and thumb. Only one shard was missing. And that was held identically in her right hand.
The suspense was killing him. As the spell wore off InuYasha stared up at Kagome the best he could. Slowly but surely she placed the last shard into its spot on the jewel. It glowed brightly in her hands, and when the light died away they all could see it.
The jewel was complete.
Kagome's heart pounded in her chest. One step closer. Pretty soon she'd have to return to the future... What came after that? She didn't want or ever need this drama right now. She didn't think she'd be able to leave InuYasha and the rest of Feudal Japan behind. It would hurt far too much. Why couldn't InuYasha see how much she cared? A soft sigh escaped her lips. "It's done." She laughed quietly to herself. "To think it only took two years."
"Kagome?" Soft amber eyes looked down at her. She looked so sad. InuYasha could almost feel her hurt, her depression the smell was so strong. He felt as though he would cry, for her. But she wouldn't like that. She'd probably get disgusted and leave. He was just a low life hanyou after all.
"What?"
"Shouldn't you be happy?" I mean, it's been so long. Now you can go do those things... tosts and scheel(obviously mispronouncing tests and school)." He blinked and tilted his head, ears twitching. "I thought that's what you wanted?"
"No. Not anymore." Kagome turned and started walking back towards the village. In the end, school had gotten to hard to keep up with and she had her mom pull her out. InuYasha... was none the wiser. Even though she never went home anymore. Unless of course they were low on ramen. He hadn't got the clue right yet. How was he to know what she wanted now?
Shippo pulled at Kagome's shirt, still sitting atop her shoulder. "Are you okay Kagome?"
"Aren't you getting too big for that Shippo?" She glanced up at him then from the corner of her eyes. He was getting rather heavy.
Shippo jumped down and walked next to Kagome. His head was only a few inches shy of her waist. He'd grown a lot in only 2 years. "I'm sorry Kagome." He mumbled and watched the ground move beneath his feet. He had noticed a change in Kagome's attitude. When there was no change in her scent, he had asked Sango what was wrong wit her. She said that Kagome was just going through the stages of being a woman, she was growing up.
InuYasha cleared his throat, mumbling for Shippo to go ahead without them. When the kit had disappeared over a nearby hill. InuYasha glanced at Kagome's retreating form, she still had yet to stop. "Kagome..." He ran forward, stopping just behind her. "What's wrong?" His ears twitched forward, listening intently to Kagome's every sound.
"Its no-" Kagome gasped when InuYasha suddenly spun her around to face him. The look in his eyes frightened her, as well as irritated her. She knew who he was thinking of.. Kikyo. He's never look at her with so much love in his eyes.
"I know that's not true. I can smell your sadness." He sighed and brushed a clawed hand through her hair. "Why won't you just tell me?" He heard her heart rate pick up and immediately drew his hand away. Damn his impulses. It was getting harder and harder every day to keep his hands to himself.
Kagome turned her head away and watched a leaf fall from a tree. "It's..." She closed her eyes. "It's complicated." She looked back at him. 'I love you.' She forced a smile, praying it would work. "It doesn't matter InuYasha. Let's go back, so we can eat." She started to turn but a strong hand at her waist stopped her. Her eyes snapped back up to InuYasha. "Si-"
InuYasha pushed a finger of his free hand to Kagome's lips. "Don't." He let both his hands fall and his ears flattened against his head She loathed him. He could tell. "If it doesn't matter, then why're you so upset?" He chewed the inside of his cheek. Maybe he shouldn't keep pressing her for answers. She might get angry and she did say it didn't matter.
"Why do you care?" Her voice broke through the sudden silence. Shaky, upset. Not irritated. Not angry. InuYasha winced inwardly. He could smell her salty, unshed tears. "I knew it. You don't care... do you?" Now even her body was shaking, her breathing was labored. It scared him to death. It wasn't nothing, she wouldn't get this upset unless it was really important.
Slowly Kagome's words registered in his mind. He growled and flattened his ears against his head. "I do care Kagome! More than you can imagine!" And here he was thinking she knew. Wasn't it obvious the way he treated her? So much kinder than he had anybody else. Even Kikyo. "Is that why you're upset?" He could smell her tears stronger now. She would probably go back to her own time now. She wouldn't want to stay with trash such as himself.
Kagome glanced upwards, tears streaming down her face. "No. I love you. That's why I'm upset InuYasha." She let out a frustrated sigh and threw her hands in the air. "But your always to busy running off to be with Kikyo to see that!" Her eyes fell, her steam dissipated. "She's dead InuYasha. She'll never love you the way I do." 'Oh god...' Kagome turned quickly and started walking away. She'd just admitted her deepest, darkest secret thoughts to him. What was she thinking?
"I love you too, Kagome." InuYasha stared downwards. He understood how Kagome felt now. She thought almost exactly what he did. She thought he'd use the jewel to bring Kikyo back, that he'd turn a cold shoulder on her. While he thought she'd use the jewel to seal the well, and she would abandon him to be with 'Hobo' in the future.
She froze midstep. "And what about her?" She kept her back towards InuYasha, so he couldn't see her reaction to his confession. Although she was pretty sure he could smell her happiness, and surprise.
"Like you said, she's dead. And you've stuck with me through all this..." He was softening. Damn weak humans were making him a wimp. "That was the past anyways. This is now..." 'Stay with me. Please Kagome' He didn't voice his thoughts, only stared at Kagome's back. What he wouldn't give to see her face. To look into her eyes, to hear her thoughts. Why wouldn't she look at him?
A soft wind blew through the forest. Kagome's hair blocked her vision, flowing in the wind. She could hear the truth behind InuYasha's words. How long had he been hiding this? She wasn't sure what to say to him. She had expected him to say something like 'Shut up wench!' Boy had she been wrong.
InuYasha blinked confusedly and dug his feet in the ground to brace himself. He put his arms around the girl who'd just thrown herself at him. Resting his chin across her head, he smiled. Again he could smell her tears, sure they were happy ones this time. "Are you okay now?" She nodded against his chest. He couldn't help but smile wider. She smelled so clam, so happy. He made her happy. A lowly hanyou such as himself.
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A loud think was heard from inside the hut. Shippo sighed and ran in. 'Hentai. He'll never change.' Normalcy. To him at least. Shippo sat in a corner near the door, far away from Sango and Miroku. Thankfully, they hadn't changed at all. Just Kagome and InuYasha had. Each and every day he felt more and more left out of the adult's lives. His family, was growing apart.
"Shippo!" Sango's shocked voice broke through the sudden silence. "Where are Kagome and InuYasha!?" She slapped away Miroku's wandering hand, waiting patiently for Shippo's answer.
"They stayed behind. InuYasha wanted to talk to Kagome." He pulled his spinning top an inside pocked of his coat. Then he set it onto the floor and started to spin it. Shippo's eyes wandered to the bamboo door. "They're back already. That was fast.
Kagome came in and set her back pack down. She had a very large smile on her face. InuYasha had one similar to hers and it made the group rather... suspicious. "Well, we've got good news!" Kagome went across the hut and sat against the wall, InuYasha following her silently.
Miroku and Sango exchanged worried glances. They shared the same thoughts. Kagome... innocent little Kagome had... Miroku cleared his throat. "Uhm... Alright let's hear it Kagome-chan." He glanced over at Sango and shrugged. Maybe they had thought wrong.
"We've finally completed the Shikon Jewel." InuYasha cut in before Kagome could get the words out.
Sango let out a sigh of relief. Kagome was still innocent, as far as she knew. "That's wonderful." She smiled and looked over at Miroku. His contemplative look worried her. "Miroku, what's wrong?"
"With the Jewel complete and in Kagome's hands... there's a greater chance Naraku will come after us." He looked around watching each expression change to that of a grim one. "The news wasn't all that wonderful Kagome." He folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. They might have to travel further from the village in order to keep everyone safe.
"Damn it! Why can't it ever be easy?" InuYasha growled and leaned back against the wall. He sighed and glanced over at Kagome. She wouldn't be sage. He'd just have to keep her close. Especially now that he knew how she felt. "We should start moving."
Kagome grumbled and brought one of her hands up to gently rub her temple. This was just to much for one night. She never got a break. "Can it wait until morning? I wasn't to sleep inside... Just for tonight."
"Feh!" He started to decline until Kagome looked back and pouted. "Fine. We'll leave at dawn."
A/N: Okay. I've been writing this fanfic for a little while now. I'm glad I've finally got the first chapter up.
The beginning sort of rushes through everything that happens in the show.
But once I get through everything and start to make it my own, it won't be as quick.
I hope everyone enjoys it.
:D